Gnomes
To be a gnome is to experience everything to its fullest extent, to feel more keenly than others. For members of other races, understanding gnomes is a task fraught with aggravation. Alien in mindset and physiology, supposedly hailing from the realm of the Feywild itself, gnomes are a mystery even to their closest companions. One minute they're laughing with childlike glee over the shape of a particular cloud or displaying their vast collection of insect heads, and the next they're singing in a happy tune while wallowing shoulder-deep in the intestines of a fallen enemy. Touched by fey ancestry, their ethics and mindset are inscrutable to most others, and their senses of humor are creative and disturbing. Most people see gnomes simply as "just gnomes". This is often to their own peril. 'History' Few who deal with gnomes regularly are capable of forgetting it, but one fact bears repeating: gnomes are relatively alien to Athas. No matter how many thousands of years they have lived alongside the other races on the Material Plane, the gomes are not a natural part of its landscape. There are few who know the true origins of the gnomes, and the gnome people themselves only have information that goes back to the early Second Age (by their reckoning), and due to their own philosophical and religious belief that everything--time,reality, life--is infinite, the gnomes have little record of their history before what they call "The Awakening". Gnome lore says that they hail from a place called the First World, and that it was a wild land, a place of beauty and light and innocent mischief as children of Garl Glittergold. For reasons unknown to the gnomes today, the entire race was exiled to the Material Plane for some forgotten crime. Those gnomes woke up, literally, in the fields of Aluinen near the shores of the Inner Sea in approximately 2046 CR. The gnomes dispersed, traveling to every corner of Athas, settling in small neighborhoods or living semi-nomadic lives among the Big Folk but with no true lands of their own. While many would assume the Gnomes would have fallen in with the Halfling people, it was with the Dwarves that the gnomes struck a deep friendship. Both races posses a love of gems and mountains, after all, and a gnome's natural curiosity and skill with invention suited the Dwarve's lifestyle perfectly. So, the gnomes slowly began to migrate to the realms of Dwarves to settle, though many still remained among the Arthedain or the Elves. Gnomes are said to have played a large role during the Kobold Incursion of 2772 throughout Dunn, especially beneath the streets of Neverwinter, as their small frame easily fit in the tunnels the small reptilians dwelled in. In fact, it was a gnome--Boppa Glunderbuss--that slew the Kobold King in those dark tunnels. Their murder of their king, in addition to the gnome's continued work battling and exterminating Kobolds for nearly a decade after earned the gnomes the enmity of the Kobolds, which would come back to haunt the gnomes later. In 3441 CR, thousands of gnomes traveled south along with the dwarves during the founding of Terminor. The gnomes helped build cities, regulate trade, protect their borders and farm and herd livestock. In 3700 CR, the gnomes founded Brastlewark, the first true Gnome settlement. Brastlewark played a crucial war in the Orc Invasion of 3865. So, in 3869 CR, the dwarves granted the Gnomes the northern plains of Terminor as their own, which the gnomes named Hardby, which acts as an independent territory of the Iron Empire, and the gnomes are fine with that. Thus, the gnomes have lived in peace in those rolling fields and hills, though many still travel the world and many gnomes are found today among the ranks of scholars, criminals and noble adventurers alike. 'Physical Traits' Gnomes are among the smalled of the civilized races of Athas, with a slightly stockier physique than halflings (but much more lithe than dwarves) and are near both in height. While taller than the average halfling, gnomes are not nearly as tall or heavy as dwarves. Thus, gnomes are often confused for halflings or young humans by the unobservant. Gnomes vary widely in skin and hair tone; even gnome twins can have different hair, skin and eye colors and yet be identical in nearly every other way. This change has little to do with ethnicity, however. The concept of ethnicity confuses and fascinates gnomes, especially when it becomes a source of racial tension. Religious or national allegiances make more sense to them, but fighting and dying over skin color strikes most gnomes as unbelievably silly. As a result, gnomes have little interest in researching their varying colors, resulting in conflicting theories: the truth lies somewhere in a mixture of the season in which they were born, the emotions felt by the mother during pregnancy and even the time of day in which they were born. Hair can be of virtually any color, and it tends to vary by season. Green, auburn, gold, pink, black, purple and deep red are the most common colors. During the summer, their hair is vivid and grows quickly. It mutes slightly during autumn and sometimes changes color entirely to something dull or dark. Winter sees a gnome's hair dull and faded. It grows extremely slow. Their hair is droopy during this time and many gnomes either shave their hair for winter or wear their hair in a ponytail. But in the spring, hair starts to brighten up and flushes with color, and it grows back quicker before it reaches the brightness of summer once again. Gnome men are fond of facial hair, but mostly mustaches and goatees, rarely wearing beards. A gnome's eyes are always large and expressive, and their color tend to be metallic or like gem stones and the gnomes describe them as such. Their colors range from: Silver, Gold, Copper, Tin, Iron, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Azure, Amethyst, Pearl or Diamond. Diamond is truly rare and gnomes believe those born with that shade of color (which usually changes or sparkles in the light) are "Glitterkin", which are said to be gnomes born with a great destiny, either for good or ill. Skin color goes through an odd metamorphosis throughout their life. When they are born, their skin is a light green or orange, or pink, purple or sometimes light blue. As they mature, their skin begins to mute until their skin resembles the common tones of humans by the time they come of age. Adult's hair ranged from pale, to ruddy, to a light mocha. Gnome hair has and skin is bright during childhood, when everything is new and simply living is an experience of unparalleled novelty. A slight muting of skin and hair color is the first sign of adulthood, though few non-gnomes can identify that change. Variation of coloration of skin and hair apparently has only one limit: no gnome except those in the Blea ching can have white hair. Health and Hardiness The body of a gnome, while humanoid in shape, has many unique traits that serve it well. The physical potency of gnome musculature has both drawbacks and benefits. While weaker than all races but halflings in terms of brute strength, gnomes posses an innate resilience matched only by that of dwarves. While the stout folk receive their hardiness from their thick, muscular build, a gnome can twist and bend in ways that more dense muscles might not normally allow, also helping them absorb impacts. Of course, many gnomes and those who travel with hem insist it is a gnome's inherent curiosity and enthusiasm that keeps them on their feet long after they should have dropped. Senses Gnome's expanded senses hint that their brains and sensory organs are as lithe as their musculature. Even ignoring the social conditioning aspects, gnomish receptivity to sensory input has led to several beneficial adaptations. The most obvious sensory advantage a gnome has is his eyes. Larger proportionally than those of a human, gnome eyes are extremely sensitive, taking in more light from a slightly expanded spectrum, which allows gnomes to see twice as far as humans in conditions of poor lighting. Pupils that dilate farther and faster than a human's also help to keep gnomes from being caught off-guard when entering an area of low light, though they still rely on normal light to see rather than gaining true darkvision. Similarly, their eye's larger range of movement allows gnomes to see more out of the literal corners of their eyes than a human could from at the same position. Sight, however, is only one of the gnome's senses. Much of the lauded gnome perception is based on the fact that gnomes customarily use as many senses as possible to experience the world. Whereas a human is often tempted to rely on sight and sound alone, a gnome wants to touch, smell and even taste whenever doing so would be prudent (and frequently when it's not). This is as much a factor in their resistance to illusion magic as their own innate talents in that regard, for while humans and other can be confused by visual or oral illusions, gnome triple-check their senses to confirm the reality of anything--a legacy of their origin in the First World, where things were rarely quite what they seemed. Gnome sensory prowess also manifests in what they choose to do as a trade or craft. Melding all their perceptions helps gnomes in designing the color, fit, texture and degree of warmth of clothing, the heft and balance of a weapon (and the aesthetic of the ornamentation) and the taste, smell and visual presentation of food. The easiest and most natural professions for gnomes are tailoring, cooking and drink tasting or poison testing, alchemy, brewing and other jobs linked to acute perception. Longevity If allowed to age naturally, most gnomes can live for a little over two centuries. Yet in addition to the normal barrage of accidents, illness and violence, gnome longevity is limited by a unique condition known as Bleaching, in which a gnome begins to lose his grip on the real world and fades in color and enthusiasm. No gnome knows the time the Bleaching begins but most believe that it stems from a lack of new experiences. Thus, young gnomes strive to do and see and experience as much as they can not only to broaden their own perceptions but to stave off the Bleaching for as long as possible. Gnome in Mind Even while paying the strictest attention to those around them, gnomes think and react far differently from other mortal beings. Despite nearly two thousand years on this world, gnomes' minds often seem disjointed and chaotic, more akin to the flighty and mischievous intellects of certain capricious fey than the plodding thought processes of a human. Gnomes draw people of all races to them with their charm and attention. Though many who spend time with gnomes gripe about their companions' incessant curiosity and restless energy, it's these same trais and other distinctly gnome characteristics that make them so attractive as companions and lovers. The focus and obsessive curiosity of the "Fey Folk" is impressive enough when turned upon a field of study but when turned upon a romantic target, the allure of such attention can be unbelievably powerful, even for those of other races. Despite an inability to crossbreed with other races, gnomes' constant hunt for new sensations means they rarely restrict their liaisons to their own kind. While gnome behavior confuses many, and their bizarre senses of humor can sometimes lead to inadvisable actions, their general lack of pretension or malice and their open, expressive faces often get them out of scrapes. That's not to say there aren't evil gnomes--and when a gone goes bad, he tends to be even more grotesquely creative than most--but rather that, for those used to dealing with gnomes, unexplained and manic behavior isn't seen as sinister and most people living near gnomes spend a lot of time practicing tolerance and extending the benefit of the doubt. The Bleaching Eventually, all gnomes begin to gradually feel the years creeping up on them. Their bodies begin to slow, their senses dull and they start to feel less engaged by the world around them. Their colors fade, representing their souls' slow departure from the Material Plane, until their skin and hair are completely snow white. Once the process begins it is impossible to stop and it happens rapidly. The Bleaching, as it is known, turns the world into one single, unbelievably bland experience, seemingly exhausted of all its possibilities, and this remains the single greatest fear of every gnome. The Bleaching is always fatal--it signifies the gnome's life is coming to an end and their time on the Material Plane is over. Gnomes eventually grow so that breathing or their own blood circulation becomes too great a burden to bear. While it is certainly a tragedy that all gnomes fear, it is not seen as something evil and those who experience it are not shunned or viewed any differently than other gnomes. According to the gnomes' beliefs, Bleaching is a sign that Garl Glittergold has accepted you back into his realm and is slowly drawing you back into his realm, and while no gnome wants to go through it, it is seen as a dignified thing and only the most craven or insane gnomes would try to stop it. Gnome Magic Magic comes naturally to all gnomes, and is the strongest piece of evidence for their claim of otherworldly heritage. This affinity is expressed primarily as the four innate spells which all gnomes with enough confidence and willpower can cast. While no one knows why these spells--dancing lights, speak with animals, ghost sound and prestidigitation--come so naturally to gnomes, even those without any other magical ability, various songs and tales from gnomish history offer their own (frequently outlandish or contradictory) explanations. One popular aphorism goes: "The light, the sound, the trick and the voice--these make us giants though the world deems us small." With magic already in their blood, so to speak, it would be reasonable to expect gnome magic users to be primarily sorcerers. This is actually far from the truth: a gnome's natural curiosity, drive and obsession to learn and experience new things make them a primarily wizardly race. Nearly every school of magic has something to offer a gnome practitioner, so next to Illusionists, Universalists are by far the most common choice for gnome wizards to undergo. After all, why choose to focus on a single school and neglect the study of two others for the sake of power? Why leave all of those spells unlearned and experiences unexperienced? Those who do focus on illusions do so almost more out of traditional or psuedo-religious reasons. Diet Gnomes need nourishment to survive, just like every other race, but they need it far less often than other races. On average, a gnome only needs to eat once per day to sustain themselves (making a day's worth of trail rations last 2 days). Additionally, gnomes rarely won't eat something they're given, as that would be denying themselves a new experience. Gnomes love trying and tasting new food, especially from different cultures. They adore spices and sauces, and soups & stews are among the favorite foods for a gnome. Gnome cuisine is notable for combining traditional, human country fare and upscale, gourmet style cuisine with continental style cooking. Due to Hardby's location along the coast of the Inner Sea, in addition to the livestock herded in the central plains--fish, mutton and beef play a prominent role in traditional gnomish dishes. Gnome dishes also consistently use berries (especially blueberries, cloudberries, lingonberries and buckthorn) and milk. Gnomes also posses a strange love of turnips and beets, which can be found in the majority of gnome dishes. Gnomes are also famous for their dark rye bread and hard cheeses. Culture Given their particular predilection for the chaotic, gnomes do surprisingly settle into the traditional "civilized' structure rather well. Gnomes delight in defying expectations and the most common one would be that gnomes do not have a true "society". While this was accurate at one time, gnomes have been living in towns and cities of their own for nearly a millenium. Most gnome settlements are little more than small towns or artist colonies, but many human cities have large gnome communities. Each such community follows a social pattern that places a high regard on social rank. They tend to live simply alongside nature, building cities like humans but living in them like elves or halflings. A gnome community, while often strange places of great artistic curiosity, are tightly woven and gnomes fiercely defend their own. While almost every gnome community differs from others in many ways, there are some things that are common to every gnome settlement. Birth and Childhood Gnomes generally place the decision to procreate solely in the hands of the women bearing the children. It's often said that a gnome's capacity for surprise begins at conception, as their gestation period rate is wildly variable, ranging anywhere from about six months to nearly a year with no apparent consequences. Children enter the world vibrant, full of color and immediately alert. They begin to move under their own power within a few weeks, crawling at first until they get their legs under themselves and are walking by 6 months. At about this time, they discover their primary aptitude: getting into trouble. They aso discover the notion of consequence. Gnome children are rarely told what to do, only what to expect. Learning through experience is both a natural predilection and something of a cultural norm for gnomes, and in anything less than a potentially fatal situation, gnomes tend to take a laissez-faire approach, noting children have greater respect for danger once they've seen the consequences firsthand. This relaxed standard tends to make even the most overprotective gnome parent look negligent to other races. And in some ways, they are--gnomes are far less attached to their own children than they are to the perpetuation of the race as a whole, and youngsters in a gnome village are raised collectively, with the nearest adult providing parenting as necessary. Formal schooling is a rarity for gnome children. While some families living among other races go with the flow and send their children to school, gnomes generally take it for granted that their children's natural curiosity will lead them to investigate anything that catches their interest. This self-driven education proves at least as effective as normal human schooling. Most gnomes who enter academies and other formal education do so later in life, when they've identified a particular interest and exhausted all resources available for independent study. Such beings who become teaches often have a difficult time instructing members of other races, who may lack the gnome's own obsessive drive. Clothing & Hats Gnomes have a healthy respect and affection for the natural world, both above ground and below it. They view it as a cornerstone of life--the basis for all existence. That view is reflected in their clothing styles, though the "naturalness" of the clothing depends greatly on social class and wealth. Traditional gnome clothing makes extensive use of leather and natural tones, using a palette of browns, whites, yellows, greens, blues and grays. Exotic colors, such as red, purple and orange are rare and typically only worn by those who wish to make an artistic statement or adventuring types who spend most of their time among other cultures. A typical outfit for a male gnome begins with opaque tights or close-fitting breeches, often decorated with patterns or stripes, either dyed or sewn together from contrasting colors of fabric. Shirts are made of light, breathable materials, tailored for a close fit. They are normally unornamented, though the sleeves can range from blousy to form-fitting (though never tight enough to restrict movement). Over this, a doublet is worn (either with or without sleeves, depending on the season). A doublet is the most expensive and important piece of clothing a gnome wears (besides their hats). Doublets are usually constructed from tooled leather and typically left a natural brown, although they might be dyed other colors (most commonly blue or bright green). Gnomes favor a side fastening for doublets, with high asymmetrical collars. Doublets for formal occasions are made from expensive and rare materials, such as silk, velvet or gold cloth. They are rarely seen outside of weddings or aristocratic functions. Boots are typically knee-high, generally designed to match the doublet. Boots often have pointed toes, though square toes are not uncommon either. For gnome females, the basics of the outfit are very much the same, consisting of tights or breeches and a shirt. Shirts are sometimes cropped, revealing the midriff. Sleeves are typically short when they are there at all; most females were no sleeves. Instead of a doublet, females wear a skirted version called a kirtle. It consists of a close-fitting bodice that ends just beneath the bust, often sleeveless, and an open skirt that sweeps back from the front, the hem of which typically hits between mid-thigh and mid-calf. These are not often constructed of leather, however, and more often are flowing, breathable materials. They do not often wear boots, but more often wear shoes (pointed or square-toed). Gnomes do not use many advanced weaving techniques for their fabrics, relying instead on jewelry and elaborate embroidery for ornamentation. Expensive garments often have precious or semiprecious stones sewn into the cloth itself. Doublets are regularly embossed or embroidered and even the plainest kirtle has a row of flowers or something similar embroidered at neck, shoulders or waist. When sleeves are present, embroidery is often found at the wrists. Vines, flowers and other living things are favorite themes for embroidery. Gnome jewelry is exquisitely crafted and detailed, featuring filigree and other advanced techniques. Most gnome jewelry uses cabochon gems set into groups in silver, gold, copper and even leather settings. Hats are of particular interest to any gnome, male or female. All gnomes own between three and several dozen hats, and hats are often seen as a social status symbol. They favor hats of all styles, colors, fabrics or even size. Fedoras, fezzes, bomber hats and top hats are the most popular, though any style will do. Gnomes believe a hat can say a lot about the person wearing it. This saying is not just an aphorism, however, but it is something taken from their own culture. In gnome villages and cities, all gnomes posses a single, pointed hat. The color, fabric and size of the hat are indicative of their social rank, intellect and criminal record. Red hats are for common folk; blue hats are for officials; yellow hats are for leaders (such as a mayor), brown hats are for criminals and white hats are for Dunces. Size is also a quality to measure: the taller the hat, the smarter and more accomplished the gnome wearing it is. The pattern and fabric of the hat also say a lot about the wealth of its owner. All gnomes have one of these pointed hats, though they rarely wear them in public outside of gnome communities. Almost all gnomes wear hats all the time, though there is no social stigma against those who don't wear them. Love and Marriage Gnomes hold love as the great universal mystery--a source of inspiration and an intrinsic part of truth. The pursuit of love is a popular pastime, whether the goal is a marriage or a fleeting muse. The love between parents, friends, siblings and romantic partners is highly valued and celebrated in story and song, making for a highly romanticized and liberal view of love. Sex outside marriage is expected and tacitly encouraged, though it is considered irresponsible to deliberately pursue an action destined to pain another. Gnomes never arrange marriages, because they consider marriage a holy bond that only Garl himself can bless. Of course, Garl is known as the Prankster, so unhappy or failed marriages are seen as pranks on his part, a topic that is often the theme of gnome comedies. In an effort to avoid being victimized by one of Garl's love pranks, gnome culture has two kinds of marriages: Handfasting and Bonding. Handfasting is the most common method of formalizing a relationship between two gnomes. Only the two lovers and three witnesses need be present to complete the ritual. The lovers' hands are usually bound together with a red ribbon; these are removed, knotted together and presented to the couple at the end of the ceremony. The lovers speak their own vows, which usually rhyme, and consist of promises to look after the other's welfare and to bring them laughter and joy, and to remain faithful for as long as love lasts. Handfasted couples are entitled to their own houses. If neither party already owns a house, one is built by the community at the earliest opportunity (and is usually ready by the time the Handfasting occurs). Handfasted couples are expected to live and work together as long as they feel affection for one another. Some handfastings last for decades, and a few last for life. Often, though, because gnomes are intensely curious creatures who constantly crave new experiences, one partner becomes interested in someone else, or perhaps one wishes to leave for an extended period of time (perhaps to go adventuring) and sometimes arguments simply poison the couple's love. In such cases, couples can end their handfasting with a brief ceremony in which the knotted cords they received are untied before three witnesses and presented to the now separated individuals. Children are expected to live with whichever parent wants them. If both do, a child can choose if he or she is old enough to speak; younger offspring usually remain with the mother unless she refuses them. The second level or formalization is the Bonding. Bondings are much rarer than handfastings and cannot be dissolved. Most bondings occur later in a gnome's life, after the lovers have had a chance to live together as a handfasted couple and are certain of their love. Some couples never take this step at all, content to remain handfasted for their entire lives. A Bond is proposed to the woman by the man, with the presentation of two gold rings. The ceremony is conducted by a cleric of Garl Glittergold, and the rings are connected at a juncture; they are still two rings but are connected and bonded now so they cannot be undone. These ceremonies usually spark weeks of revelry. It is bad luck for a gnome to prank a Bonded gnome for a year after their Bonding. Death and Aging When a gnome hits what most races consider young adulthood, the vibrancy of a gnome's hair, skin and eyes dull slightly. This change is natural and happens to every gnome, but it signals an important transformation in a gnome's life: the point at which he is henceforth susceptible to the Bleaching. Though it doesn't necessarily change the gnomes' lifestyle, it does add a certain manic edge to their scholarship and frivolity, and the unsettling, slightly crazed air surrounding many gnomes is due in large part to the pressure of knowing that every day is a step toward the grave. Gnomes age slowly, reaching physical maturity at about forty years old and remaining roughly the same for about a century. Even at middle age, when their physical faculties begin to dim, they dim only slightly and hardly noticeably to others. However, they tend to find their first gray hair at about 150 and from there, things begin to unravel quickly and once the Bleaching starts, the gnome only has a decade left at the most. Gnomes see death as a perfectly natural and unavoidable part of life. This does not mean they do nor mourn; on the contrary, they weep, cry and wail louder and feel the sorrow more deeply than any other race at the loss of a loved one or close companion. But this mourning is tinted with a hint of optimism: the soul has simply moved on to the next phase of life, becoming one with the Astral, nourishing the earth and replenishing reality itself. Thus, funerals are often short and gnomes rarely cremate bodies. Instead, they bury the body in the earth, naked and uncovered. Oddly, the plant known as Valkovuokko in the Zipplish tongue--or Wind Flower, in common--grows on the burial sites of gnomes. These plants blossom the whole year round, and have gained the nickname "Evermind" by humans. Gnome Weapons and Warfare Gnomes often chafe when forced to use bland or standard-issue armor and weapons. Wide-reaching superstition among gnome warriors holds that heading into battle with gear that hasn't been personalized--or worse yet, that has been used by someone else--invited bad luck, and most remain nervous until they've had a chance to do something about it, even if it's something as simple as applying paint or carving a personalized rune or initial into the blade, head, hilt or pommel of their weapon, or tying on decorative fabric or favors. More often, their improvements are functional as well as artistic, such as improving the weapon's grip or adding weight to a hammer to add more momentum to each swing. Gnomes are rarely satisfied with their equipment, even when it's in top condition: thus, rather than fooling around overmuch with their essential tools, gnome warriors often carry other, small projects to distract them--projects that may come in handy later in their lives. When creating their own armor or weaponry, gnomes pursue both complexity and utility. They seek the optimum solution for a specific need and rarely create the same solution twice, as their thinking and craftsmanship evolve over time as they gain experience. Gnome adventurers often carry multiple types of weapons in order to have the perfect weapon on hand to deal with any problem they anticipate. Gnomes, on the whole, disdain needless violence. This is not to say that gnomes are pacifists or unskilled warriors. Their fighting ability can be quite formidable. it is rather to say that gnomes are a peaceful race, typically choosing to fight only when all avenues of diplomacy have been exhausted. Gnomes rarely go to war, even when the cause seems just. They do not keep a standing army, or even more than a sparely manned militia in most cases, and the traditional gnome styles of fighting lend themselves best to guerilla and one-on-one tactics. A central authority to call up an army does not exist. At its core, gnomes simply believe going to war is a tremendous waste. Glory comes from achievements, not the senseless destruction and mindless violence that come from prolonged warfare. Through time, most gnomes' allies have come to accept this view (if not understand it) and are grateful for the considerable port the gnomes do provide in times of need. Government Gnome government is, as might be expected, a complicated affair. Since gnomes prize novelty--and few gnomes enjoy being tied down by too many responsibilities--they often make unusual choices when deciding who is to lead. Rather than choosing the strongest or smartest as leaders or having hereditary leaders like most humans, gnomes may choose the best craftsman, the gnome with the best sense of humor, the cleverest pranksters, or whoever catches the scepter when the current leader tires of his reign. While other races may scoff, gnomes often point out that ver the course of history, their methods of selecting leaders has not only worked for them but nobody's been killed over it. Religion The primary deity of gnome culture is Garl Glittergold, the Prankster. He is considered the Father of the gnomes, as well as their patron and protector. Religion holds an odd place in gnome life. While most races are deeply devoted to their deities, having daily proof of their existence through the miracles worked by their clerics, the gnomes reman strangely apathetic, if not skeptical, about their patron deity. Indeed, some factions among the gnomes insist Garl is a figurative expression of the gnome mind and soul, rather than a mystical, other-worldly being. If questioned, most gnomes profess belief in Garl--or at least in what he represents to them. However, their unceasing examination of the nature of divinity, realty, truth and thought make many gnomes unwilling to fully commit, leading them to posture and give disclaimers about Garl's nature. Every moderate-sized gnome town or community has at least one chapel dedicated to Garl with a small shrine. There are no full temples, however; the largest are basically houses, with gazebos being more common. Regular religious services are rare, usually occurring only on high festival dyas, at weddings, at funerals and always at night on Moondays. Clerics are still an important part of daily life for gnomes, however, acting as councilors, mediators and judges in noncriminal matters. The Spirit of Fun Being a gnome means approaching the world with a viewpoint that is deeply at odds with those of most of Athas' citzens. Gnomes' very existence requires surprises, the unexpected and fresh, new sensations. Order, while sometimes fascinating in esoteric ways (such as observing the orbits of the stars, studying the mating habits of giant frogs, or obsessively arranging sticks in order of size and/or color), is an inherently dangerous this, and too much power can drive a gnome to ruin. Small wonder, then, that gnomes--especially those living in cities or human neighborhoods--often express themselves via pranks and other bizarre behavior that startles and delights. Jokes among gnomes are frequent and audacious, and may either be created on the spur of the moment or carefully designed to elicit the maximum rise out of their targets. This is not to say that gnomes constantly force humor upon their companions or delight in humiliating others (at least, no more than humans). They simply appreciate anything that disrupts the flow of a normal day and are capable of seeing the humor in nearly any situation, no matter how dire. Those who travel frequently with gnomes-and as a result have had a front-row seat to their antics--have a saying: "The laughter of a child gladdens the heart. The laughter of a gnome makes it nervous." Some have shortened this further, saying, "Every time a gnome laughs--duck". Though some gnome pranks are experiments in humanoid behavior, most have desired effects in mind. They might be designed solely for a given purpose, or they may be intended to achieve a myriad of effects, one built on the rest in an interlocking pattern--a puzzle for the target to unravel and try to top. When playing pranks on other gnomes, it's common for good-natured contests to develop, with opponents building on each other's pranks in theme or execution, spurring each other on to new heights of imagination. The most common reason to play pranks is for the humor value, but the reasons might also include revenge, comeuppance, a desire to see the target reduced to tears, surprise, entertainment, pure vexation, boredom, delight or a desire to share knowledge or wisdom, and there are as many other reasons as there are thoughts in a gnome's head. A prank may be as complex as a tripwire that activates a huge and carefully constructed mechanism designed to knock the target on her face several minutes later, or as simple as a revealing comment in an awkward social situation followed by a pun. When gnomes play pranks on humans, elves, dwarves or other races, it is not usually from a desire to inflict harm. Instead, it's often an attempt to shock the target into seeing the world a different way, to turn expectations so completely that the world becomes fresh and new again, a place of wonder. Alternatively, it might be simply because the gnome thinks the target needs to lighten up. This love of pranks often combines well with the gnomes' innate proclivity for magic, especially illusions. They bend the fundmental nature of perception to their purpose. Some of them become awesome wizards with power to shake the heavens, but nearly all of them turn this power toward investigating the world around them rather than build their own power. Their proclivity for fun seems to deter them fromt he desire to change the world. Gnomes' focus is generally built on individuals, rather than faceless masses. Illusion and Truth Naturally skilled in illusion, gnomes are very aware of the fleeting nature of appearance. While they use illusions to entertain themselves and snap others out of the daily drudgery and stagnant mind-sets, they are well aware of illusion's limitations. The pleasure they find in creating a particularly beautiful or useful illusion comes fromt he truth that illusion can reveal when correctly used, not the image or sensation itself. At home among the arts, gnomes find themselves compelled throughout their lifetimes to search for the perfect expression of some intangible bit of truth through their chosen art form. The oldest, wisest and most intellectual of gnomes spend much of their time focused on these questions: from where does truth stem? What is truth? How can we discern truth when we see it? Weighty philosophical tomes have been written on the topic. For all that gnome philosophers focus on the search for truth and a method of defining reality, one aspect that often escapes them is that gnomes are creatures of illusion. They claim their birthright honestly, with minor magics at their fingertips even from childhood. They are comfortable in a world highly decorated with magic and imagination, and they tend to enjoy using these abilities to enhance their own enjoyment of life. Arts and Crafts Gnomes are both blessed and cursed with a philosophical bent and an insatiable curiosity. They express these feelings through art, invention and magic--specifically, illusions (which are prized by Garl). None of these outlets, however, are completely able to satisfy the hunger that drives a gnome through life. Though gnomes are inspired inventors, whose lives are more comfortable than most other races can boast, their inventions are merely an exercise in managing the world around them, sifting what activities or objects are necessary and irreplaceable from what is simply present. The joy they take in inventing new things comes from both the creative process and the useful end result, but the resulting object is never the goal. A famous gnome quote goes, "Art is the language by which Truth speaks to us". If the search for truth is universal among the gnomes, then that sentence is as close to a distilled version of the gnome perspective on art as we can hope to see. Pursuing a vision of art--be it through music, drama, writing, dance or visual arts--is considered to be the highest calling a gnome can have. Children of Invention By their very nature, gnomes are inquisitive, curious and crafty--what better way for them to understand the world and its rules than to experiment with the material of the world itself? Thus, they work with stone, wood and water, shaping it and themselves in the process. Gnomes are often happy to be jacks-of-all-trades until they find something that captures their attention wholly, at which point they become monomaniacal in their attempts to master a given skill set. Because they are always seeking engagement, they carry small projects with them as they travel and work on them whenever possible. Many of these creations serve unique purposes, or provide better or alternative ways to accomplish others. Gnomes love to work with springs, gears, pulleys and steam. Automation is also keenly intriguing to gnomes and many seek to not only understand the complexities of clockwork devices, but to improve upon them. Gnome craftsman and engineers are highly prized and sought after, especially since no two gnomes will build the same device. Calendar & Time Gnomes believe time is cyclical and infinite. They do not have a traditional measure of time. Instead, they measure time in Eras, and otherwise adhere to the calendar used by Common Reckoning. The big difference is traditional gnomish calendars do not use the Common year, but the "Gnome Date", which denotes the current year and era, with the era noted as a number an a capital E, thus the second era would be noted as "2E". Thus the date of 10 Pelas, 4707 CR would reads, "10 Pelas, 2661 2E". The first year of their second era began the day of their awakening, though according to their calendar, their awakening occurred during the sixth month of the first year of the second era. According to the gnomes, the first era occurred in the First World and lasted several thousand years. Language Zipplish is the language spoken by gnomes. Zipplish is a member of the Terran family of languages and is considered a distant cousin of Khazad. Characteristics of Zipplish are vowel harmony and an aggluntinative morphology. Owing to extensive use of the latter, Zipplish words can be quite long. The main stress is always on the first syllable.There are eight vowels, whose lexical and grammatical role is highly important, and which are unusually strictly controlled, so that there is almost no allophony. The usual analysis is that Zipplish has long and short vowels and consonants as distinct phonemes. However, long vowels may be analyzed as a vowel followed by a chroneme or also, that sequences of identical vowels are pronounced as "diphthongs". Zipplish words often have a great deal of consonants, and borrows many words from other Terran tongues, especially Khazad. Zipplish does not have a written form, but instead uses Khazad runes. It is not written in the same fashion as Khazad, however, and instead is written out in the fashion of the common tongue. Thus, punctuation has been added that is identical to those found in Common. Folklore & Mythology 'The Place of No Consequence ' The gnomes are unusual in that they have no creation myths relating to their emergence as a race, which is consistent with their view of existence as an infinite thing with no beginning and no end. The closest thing they have is the story of their "awakening" at the "Beginning of this Era". It is a common childhood tale and most gnomes know it by heart. "Not so long ago, we lived in a Place of No Consequence. It was wide and beautiful and covered with trees and mountains, a place where we could do whatever we wanted. We walked both in shadows and in light; we rejoiced in sun and sang with the moon. We lived in the land and of the land--we were a part of it and because we were a part of it, it didn't hurt us. How could it? It was our home. Our only rule was that we should enjoy ourselves. We drank and danced and played practical jokes and none of the jokes every hurt anyone--what we now call pain only meant we were the victim of the joke and nothing more. It never stuck with us. What we did was natural. One day that all changed. We had to leave and we came here, to this land. We discovered consequence: the idea that what we do has meaning and lasts. The world remembers what we do, and sometimes it wishes us ill. We came from the Place of No Consequence, but we live in the Land of the Real. Think on the things you do, child, and ask yourself what might happen." Most children understand this to mean that they should look before they leap. Others glean a deeper meaning: that they are responsible for their actions, and also the actions that others take because of them, the head of a chain of casualty that extends further than they will ever know. How gnomes deal with this understanding is a major factor in determining why some gnomes live by the seat of their pants, others more thoughtful and pensive, and other still are devious masterminds with intricate plots to change the world. In that way, the gnomes call the Material Plane "The Second World". Category:Races Category:Fey Folk Category:Free-People